Fishing – What’s In It For Me?

The tackle was good. A top of the line 10 to 15 kilo jig stick, the best 5:1 reel, a fill of good line, and a tackle box full of all the goodies, all gleaming shiny and new on the counter.

The card was good too. The figure of $750.oo rocketed along the phone lines to the big computer in Wellington (NZ), and returned bearing the ‘approved’ sign on the card machine. I handed over the docket for the customer to sign, under the watchful eye of his wife.

Her face puckered into an ‘I just bit into a lemon’ look, and the tart remark shot out, “You will have to catch a lot of fish to cover that.”
My observation that the purchase price was only 15, two kilo snapper at fish shop prices, was greeted with the special look some people reserve for smart ass salespeople. Icy is too mild a description. The fact that every brass monkey for miles around was clutching their part’s privy, will give some idea of the frostiness of the glare.

She, and then he, began a vigorous discussion on the merits or otherwise of fishing tackle purchases. There was some emphasis placed on much needed, but not yet purchased kitchen appliances, a roof that needed painting, and the like. Discretion being by far the much better part of valour, I retired to the back of the shop to become busy doing something, anything.

‘Anything’, turned out to be some deep thought on the economics of fishing tackle purchases.

The first, and perhaps obvious train of thought that rattled through this, then, tackle store owner’s, brain, involved the purchase of fishing tackle. Purchasing heaps of expensive tackle seemed an excellent hypothesis to me.

This thought passed, replaced by an enquiry. Why do I spend so much time fishing? What is in it for me? ……story continues www.bishfish.co.nz/articles/general/economics.htm

Posted by Tony Bishop